Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to imaging devices. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to nondiffracting beam detection devices for generating high resolution three-dimensional bright field and photoluminescence (e.g., fluorescence or phosphorescence) images.
Optical microscopes have become indispensable tools for modern scientific investigations. They have evolved to appear in different forms and modalities for catering to a wide variety of imaging needs. For example, bright field, dark field, epifluorescence, confocal, two photon, phase contrast, and differential interference contrast (DIC) are now well-known names in biological research labs. In the future, modalities such as stimulated emission and depletion, structured illumination, and photo activated localization are expected to join the list. While these techniques offer improved capabilities, unfortunately, these improvements almost always come with systems that are bulky, complicated, and expensive.
In addition, conventional microscopes can only focus on a single plane at a setting. Typically, a knob is used to move the optics up and down to focus on the plane of interest.